A Very Important Date
by AkaiNagi
Summary: History repeats itself, and Alice discovers her seventh impossible thing. AU – Alice stays at the end of the movie and becomes part of the White Court


Title: A Very Important Date  
Author: AkaiNagi  
Rating: PG  
Genre: Romance  
Spoilers: Yes  
Summary: History repeats itself, and Alice discovers her seventh impossible thing. AU – Alice stays at the end of the movie and becomes part of the White Court

Why did Alice feel like she had been through this day before?

Well, it _was_ the one-year anniversary of the Frabjous day. A day commemorating the White Queen's return to the throne and the great battle in which Alice herself, as the Queen's champion had defeated the fearsome Jabberwocky. So in that sense it was no surprise that there was a certain familiar feeling to the day.

All state business was suspended for the day of celebration, meaning the she, as advisor to the queen and member of the inner court, found herself at a loss as to how to spend her day.

She had woken up later than usual, to find a simple but elegant white dress laid out for her with a note written in the Queen's elegant scrawl.

_This day is your day as much as ours. Never forget you were and are our champion._ Alice was truly touched at the consideration.

She bathed and dressed, thinking to herself how scandalized her mother and all of their society friends would be if she could see her now, going about corset and stocking less in the Queen's court no less. She giggled to herself as she put the finishing touches on her appearance and went out to greet the day.

She stopped by the kitchens just in time to have a piece of bread and jam lobbed at her head courtesy of the March Hare. She caught it deftly, calling out her thanks and ducking out of the kitchen just in time to miss the flying teaset that smashed against the wall.

She wandered the halls of the palace, munching her jam and toast and contemplating her next venture when she caught sight of the tweedles, together as usual, at odds as usual; poking and prodding and punching each other over some disagreement or other. That is until they caught sight of Alice and broke into wide, goofy smiles.

"It's Alice it is," announced Tweedledee

"It right well is, it surely is," confirmed Tweedledum. "How d'ya do today Alice?"

She smiled at the pair, "I'm quite well, and you?"

"Same as ever we are. Right as rain," Tweedledee answered for the pair.

Tweedledum butted in excitedly "And the first to give our congratulations we be."

Alice's brow knitted in puzzlement, "congratulations?"

Tweedledee stomped soundly on his twin's foot, "You weren't supposed to say nothin' nohow, on account of it bein' a secret and all."

"Oh, yeah," Tweedledum answered.

"Secret?" Alice asked, starting to feel slightly alarmed. "What secret?"

"Sorry," Tweedledee shrugged. "Sworn to secrecy we be. Can't say nuthin' nohow, so don't even try."

And with that the two took off down the hall, pushing and shoving as they went.

"Curiouser and curiouser." Alice muttered to herself uneasily. She hated secrets, especially when they concerned her.

She knew one person she could rely on to tell her the truth; her finest friend and confidante Tarrant the Hatter.

She entered the door to the hatter's workshop to find him engrossed in the study of his latest masterpiece. She smiled affectionately, "Good morning Tarrant." His given name rolled off her tongue easily. She much preferred it to calling him Hatter. It made her feel closer to him somehow.

"Alice!" the startled hatter nearly fell off his chair. "I wasn't expecting you this early, which is to say I expected you at some point but not this exact point in time because you see I'm working on this hat-"

Alice examined the hat in question. There was no question of the workmanship that had gone into it. Brilliant white with a wide brim and dozens of delicate white silk flowers. And if that weren't enough, a fine lace train trailed out the back. "It's beautiful," Alice whispered, awestruck. "The queen will look splendid in it."

"Yes yes, indeed, the queen would look splendid in it if it were made for the queen. Seeing, however, that it isn't for the queen but rather for someone who is not the queen, then it shall, of course, look splendid on the not-queen."

"It's not for the queen?"

"No, not quite."

"Well then who in Underland is it for?" Alice queried, confused. Who could such a creation before if not royalty.

Instead of answering the Hatter gently lifted up the delicate creation and placed it gently on Alice's own brow, deftly pinning it into place.

Alice was so stunned for a moment that she was speechless, "It's for me? You made this for me?"

Tarrant Hightop, Hatter to the White Court, smiled softly. "For no one else." An expression of uneasiness settled over his expressive features. "Do you like it?" he asked hesitantly.

She examined her image in one of the many mirrors. "Like it? Tarrant, it's stunning. Thank you. I hardly think I'm worthy of it, though. I've never owned a hat so fine in all my life."

"It suits you. Which is to say it would suit no one in the world as much as you. There are Alice hats and not-Alice hats, and in my professional opinion, this is very much an Alice-type-hat. And it is a special day of course, a very special day; we must each look our very best. And you do, Alice, look your best. And my best. In fact I must say you look everybody's best, which is to say-"

"Tarrant!"

His face settled back into its serene smile. "Thank you. I do get carried away sometimes. I'm fine now. And Alice-"

"Yes?"

"You really do look quite lovely."

Alice blushed. Impulsively, before she could talk herself out of it, she leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on the Hatter's cheek, careful not to bump the brim of her new hat.

"Thank you, Tarrant. I'll treasure it always. I'll see you at the celebration!" Before she could regret her actions, she fled the workshop, leaving the Hatter standing in the middle of the room, a beatific smile on his face.

Alice headed out to the courtyard to see that preparations for the afternoon's festivities were coming along quickly. McTwisp was driving himself mad, hopping from one end of the courtyard to the other, supervising the staff, ordering the placement of this and that. With the effort and worry he put into everything he did, it was a wonder the poor creature hadn't succumbed to an ulcer. Alice didn't dare bother him, he seemed so busy.

She opted instead for a turn about the gardens. Finding herself a shady bench, she sat down to rest herself. _Darn_, she realized she forgot to ask Tarrant about the Tweedles' secret. _Oh, well. Probably wasn't important anyway._ She had been distracted by the acquisition of her exquisite new hat. She blushed at the thought of her own boldness in kissing the Hatter. She pictured herself doing that back in the old days, back in London, and she laughed. She would never have been so bold. Underland had changed her.

Suddenly she was distracted from her thoughts by a sharp pain coming from her foot. "Ouch!" she cried out. She looked down in time to see Mallymkun pulling her hatpin sword from out of Alice's toe.

"Mallymkun!" Alice protested. "What was that for??"

"Hussy!" the dormouse hissed at Alice.

Alice was taken aback. "I beg your pardon?" Alice thought frantically. Was it possible that the dormouse had seen her kiss the Hatter? That must be it. She knew, as did half the rest of Underland, that Mallymkun carried a torch for the milliner.

"Mallymkun, listen to me! It was just a friendly kiss is all. Between friends, you see!"

The dormouse's rage grew to a new level "You kissed him?? Ooooooh! Double Hussy!!" Mallymkun stabbed her once more right good with the hatpin before disappearing into the underbrush with a cry of dismay.

"Mallymkun!"Alice called after her. "Oh for criminy's sake," she sighed. The dormouse was clearly gone for good, leaving her a sore foot to show for it.

"Things often turn volatile where affairs of the heart are concerned," a mellow voice intoned from somewhere above Alice.

There, on the brim of her hat, perched a stunning blue butterfly.

"Absolem!" Alice exclaimed, the pain in her foot forgotten momentarily. "It's been so long! How are you?"

"I am as I ever am. I should ask the same of you. You have finally discovered who you are I see."

"I'm well," answered Alice politely. "And yes, I know who I am. It took me a while."

"And now that you know who you are, you must discover who you want to be," the butterfly replied cryptically.

"Who I want to be?" Alice's brow furrowed in puzzlement. "I am who I want to be."

Alice could read the condescension in the small creature's voice. "Nonsense. People change from day to day, minute to minute, always striving to be other than what they are, _more_ than what they are. Who do you want to become?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Whoever I decide to become, it better not involve slaying anything."

Absolem let out a hearty laugh for so small a creature. "Just remember. Life does not stagnate forever. Change will present itself. Will you run from it, or will you accept it and run with it?"

With that final cryptic question the luminous blue butterfly lit off for parts unknown.

Alice had little time to ruminate before she heard the blowing of McTwisp's horn, signaling the beginning of the Frabjous Day festivities. She slowly made her way through the winding garden to the courtyard.

The place was packed, all the lords and ladies of the court, various guests, the queen and all her advisors, among which Alice was counted as one. The white queen spied Alice and, smiling beneficently, waved her over.

"My dear Alice, how lovely you look today. And I see our Hatter has outdone himself again.

Alice grinned. "It's lovely, isn't it? I hardly feel worthy of it."

"Nonsense, my dear. He made it for you as a sign of his affection. You should wear it proudly."

Alice blushed hotly. _His affection? Really?_ Alice had viewed it as the Hatter simply plying his trade in the same excellent fashion as always. The thought it reflected significantly on her gave her a warm, not unpleasant, slightly swimmy feeling inside.

The queen gave a speech on the courtyard steps reflecting on the events of a year ago today, and on the last year of prosperity and peace in Underland. She singled Alice out to rise and stand with her as the champion whose hand had made it possible. The speech was short and elegant, greeted by polite applause.

Alice began to be suspicious when the crowd did not disperse at the end of the speech, but rather hung expectantly. Alice looked questioningly at the queen, her worry mounting. The queen simply smiled serenely.

The crowd began to part, and from its depths emerged none other than the Hatter, his own hat in hand, his face solemn and unreadable.

He made his way up the courtyard steps, the White Queen yielding her place next to Alice in a move that was clearly preplanned. Suddenly Alice was thrown back in time to over a year ago when she again had been the last to know her own destiny, when that dolt Hamish had asked for her hand. That had been one of her regrets when she had chosen not to return home; that she would never have the chance to soundly turn him down.

But this wasn't Hamish in front of her now; it was her best friend, her beloved Hatter. Her Tarrant who she trusted more than all the worlds.

"Alice." His stern expression was softened by an affectionate smile as he took in the sight of her. "If you would not object to someone who is half-mad for a husband, I should like very much to ask for your hand in marriage." His smile widened. "Besides, if it helps, I have it on very good authority that all the best husbands are half mad."

The crowd held its breath expectantly. This is the part that Alice couldn't stand. The pressure of all those expectations riding on her answer. She felt their expectations like a palpable weight on her shoulders. She looked from the crowd back to Tarrant. Her dear hatter, looking so expectantly hopeful. It was really no decision to make, she did love the mad fool so. Still …

"What would you say if I told you I was imagining all the men here in dresses and the women in trousers?" Alice asked suddenly.

The Hatter paused at that momentarily, scanning the assembled crowd before bursting into peals of laughter. "Sorry. " He cackled. "Tweedles in frocks," he explained. His luminous green eyes scanned her appreciatively. "By the way I must say you look absolutely smashing in trousers."

She blushed. "Have you ever wondered what it was like to fly?"

"Of course. Haven't you?"

Satisfied, she continued, "I hate corsets, and I refuse to wear stockings. Do you think that barbaric of me?"

He grinned dangerously, leaning close to her ear, "Actually, I find it rather naughty."

"Tarrant!" Alice laughed. Oh, lord, she did love him so.

"Well, then, upon careful consideration, yes. I will marry you."

A wisp of smoke appeared beside the Hatter, revealing none other than the Cheshire Cat, bearing a silver ring in one furry paw

Alice feigned shock "Cheshire! You're in on this too?"

"Of course. I hope to see a futterwacken before the day is out," the grinning cat replied as he handed the ring to the Tarrant in exchange for holding his precious hat.

Alice held out her hand. The ring slipped on easily, like it had been made for her. She couldn't keep the giddy smile off her face.

Framing Tarrant's face in her hands, she claimed the kiss that sealed the rest of her life. It was sweet, and soft, and full of promise.

_Impossible thing number seven: I will marry a mad, wonderful man._


End file.
